José Martí Memorial, Memorial tower in Plaza de la Revolución, Cuba.
The José Martí Memorial is a gray marble tower on Revolution Square with a star-shaped base at its foundation. A large seated statue of the independence thinker dominates the site, surrounded by columns and an exhibition hall at the base of the structure.
The site was Catalan Hill, where the Montserrat chapel stood until its demolition to clear the plot. A fourth design competition in 1943 chose Aquiles Maza and Juan José Sicre, but work only began in 1953, the centenary of Martí's birth, after Batista took power in 1952 and backed a design by Raoul Otero de Galarraga's team. The monument was completed in 1958, in the last days of the dictatorship.
The memorial honors one of Cuba's most important independence thinkers, and the hall displaying his writings shows how deeply his ideas shaped the nation. People come here to feel connected with the country's heritage and learn about the thoughts that formed Cuban identity.
You can reach the viewing platform by elevator or climb the stairs to enjoy a panoramic view across Havana. The site sits on a large downtown square, so it is easy to access and there is plenty of space to explore the surroundings.
The six half-height marble columns around the statue stand for the six provinces that existed before Cuba's current administrative division. The statue itself, carved on site by Juan José Sicre, is 18 m tall and faces the Che Guevara mural on the Ministry of the Interior across the square.
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